As an apparatus that processes an indoor latent heat load by supplying humidity-controlled air into a room, an air-conditioning apparatus that has a dehumidifying function (see, for example, Patent Literature 1) and a humidity control apparatus provided with a heat exchanger, which carries adsorbent that adsorbs moisture, in a refrigerant circuit (see, for example, Patent Literature 2), are hitherto known.
The air-conditioning apparatus of Patent Literature 1 includes a refrigerant circuit including an outdoor heat exchanger on a heat source side and an indoor heat exchanger on a use side, and performs a refrigeration cycle by causing a refrigerant to circulate through the refrigerant circuit. The air-conditioning apparatus dehumidifies the room by setting the refrigerant evaporating temperature of the indoor heat exchanger to be lower than a dew-point temperature of the indoor air and condensing the moisture in the indoor air.
Furthermore, the humidity control apparatus of Patent Literature 2 is provided with two heat exchangers loaded with adsorbent. While one heat exchanger is used as a high-pressure and high-temperature heat exchanger for performing desorption of moisture, the other is used as a low-pressure and low-temperature heat exchanger for performing adsorption of moisture. Adsorption and desorption are repeated by inverting the direction of circulation of a refrigerant to switch between high and low pressures by performing switching of a four-way valve at predetermined time intervals.